The Art of Community Building

When people gather together in groups, not only their bodies but also their hearts and minds come together creating a collective consciousness. An integral approach to community development must include not only the development of the outer life of the community but also the growth of consciousness of the individuals and the community. In this integral view a community is not merely an economic and social unit but a living human organism with a collective soul, mind and life. The main emphasis will be on inner growth of the community, which means mental, moral and spiritual development of the group through education and yoga, but without ignoring or neglecting the outer growth in the economic and social dimension. For, our approach cannot be integral if we ignore the development of the outer life. But the integral ideal is that outer growth has to be a spontaneous expression of the inner growth.